This application relates to a lightweight soft body-armor product. The invention is particularly applicable for military use in anti-fragmentation and small-arms protection garments. More specifically, the invention is a lightweight flak vest weighing less than 8.8 pounds and exhibiting extraordinary fragmentation resistance.
In traditional warfare, the highest percentage of casualties are caused by fragments from mines, grenades, mortars, shell fragments, and other related munitions. For years, the U.S. military has used soft body-armor products to protect against fragments. These products have generally performed well, are relatively lightweight as compared to hard armor, and afford a wide-range of mobility. The overall weight of the product, and more importantly, its ballistic resistance performance are critical.
In the ballistics industry, performance is generally determined based on V50 ballistic test limits for impacts on an 18xe2x80x3xc3x9718xe2x80x3 test cloth. The test cloth is formed of multiple overlying plies of ballistic fabric. The V50 ballistic test limit is the average of 10 fair impact velocities consisting of the five lowest complete penetration velocities and five highest partial penetration velocities provided that the spread for the 10 velocities is not greater than an allowable range of 150 feet per second (fps). If the 10-round average cannot be attained within the allowable range, the ballistic cloth is retested. The V50 ballistic limit is determined for a given-size steel fragment by averaging the V50 test results for three test cloths.
Current soft body-armor garments incorporating KEVLAR(copyright) fabric represent a substantial advancement over traditional nylon garments. KEVLAR is a high-tech aramid fiber developed by E.I. duPont deNemours and Co., Inc. Pound for pound, KEVLAR(copyright) is five times stronger than steel, has a very high stretch resistance, is inherently flame resistant, and will not melt. When struck by artillery or shrapnel, KEVLAR(copyright) fibers absorb the impact energy and disperse it to other fibers in the fabric weave. Its non-melting, self- extinguishing properties keep heat and flames outside of the ballistic garment, and away from the body.
The prior art Personal Armor System for Ground Troops (PASGT) Vest developed for the Army uses KEVLAR(copyright) fibers. This vest weighs approximately 12.0 pounds (medium size), and has a V50 ballistic test limit of 1650 fps using a .22 caliber, 17 grain Fragmentation Simulated Projectile (FSP) at 0 degrees obliquity. To meet a demand for increased ballistic performance, a fragmentation vest upgrade including hard-armor plates was specifically designed to integrate with the PASGT vest. While the vest upgrade improved performance against artillery fire, the overall weight of the combined PASGT vest jumped substantially making it generally undesirable for use in certain military applications.
In recent years, a further military garment incorporating the requirements of the Army and Marines was developed to replace the PASGT/upgrade combination. The INTERCEPTOR is the model name for modular, multiple-threat body armor. This garment includes an outer tactical vest, and front and back small arms protective insert plates. Although the overall weight of the INTERCEPTOR body armor is substantially less than the PASGT/upgrade combination, the total weight remains relatively high.
The present invention addresses a long-felt need in today""s military for an improved soft body-armor garment with increased ballistic resistance performance and reduced overall weight. The invention provides both fragmentation and small-arms protection. The invention has particular application for use by Navy personnel aboard Navy ships to protect the wearer against fragments and artillery fire while performing duties above deck.
Therefore, it is an object of the invention to provide soft body-armor product which provides increased ballistic resistance performance and reduced overall weight.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which is designed to reduce casualties caused by fragments and artillery fire.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which weighs substantially less than the PASGT vest designed for the Army.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which has an overall weight of less than 8.8 pounds.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which provides substantially increased ballistic resistance performance than the vest used in the INTERCEPTOR body armor system.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which has a minimum V50 ballistic test limit of 1925 fps.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which has increased flexibility.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which is ergonomically engineered for increased comfort, mobility and versatility.
It is another object of the invention to provide a soft body-armor product which protects against threat levels as high as IIIA, as defined by the U.S. National Institute of Justice Standard.
These and other objects of the present invention are achieved in the preferred embodiments disclosed below by providing a ballistic panel for being incorporated into a lightweight soft body-armor product adapted for covering an area of the body. The ballistic panel includes an assembly of woven fabric plies with warp and fill yarns formed of bundled aramid fibers. The plies have a collective areal density of no greater than 1.30 pounds per square foot, and a V50 ballistic limit of no less than 1925 feet per second using a .22 caliber, 17 grain FSP at 0 degrees obliquity.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the warp yarns weigh between 600 and 850 denier. Denier is defined as the weight in grams of 9000 meters of yarn.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the fill yarns weigh between 600 and 850 denier.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the woven fabric plies includes between 25 and 40 ends of warp yarn per inch.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, each of the woven fabric plies includes between 25 and 40 ends of fill yarn per inch.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the woven fabric plies are formed using a plain weave.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the assembly includes between 20 and 30 overlapping fabric plies.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the tensile modulus of the warp and fill yarns is greater than 700 grams/denier.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the breaking strength of the warp and fill yarns is greater than 475,000 pounds/square inch.
In another embodiment, the invention is a ballistic panel for being incorporated into a lightweight soft body-armor product adapted for covering an area of the body. The ballistic panel includes an assembly of between 20 and 30 overlapping plain-weave fabric plies with warp and fill yarns formed of bundled aramid fibers. The warp and fill yarns each weigh between 600 and 850 denier. The plies have a collective areal density of no greater than 1.25 pounds per square foot, and a V50 ballistic limit of no less than 1925 feet per second using a .22 caliber, 17 grain FSP at 0 degrees obliquity.
In yet another embodiment, the invention is a lightweight soft body-armor product adapted for covering an area of the body. The body-armor product includes at least one ballistic panel formed of an assembly of woven fabric plies with warp and fill yarns formed of bundled aramid fibers. The plies have a collective areal density of no greater than 1.30 pounds per square foot, and a V50 ballistic limit of no less than 1925 feet per second using a .22 caliber, 17 grain FSP at 0 degrees obliquity.
According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the body-armor product is a ballistic flak vest.
Preferably, the overall weight of ballistic flak vest is less than 8.8 pounds.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the invention is a method of forming a lightweight soft body-armor product adapted for covering an area of the body. The method includes the steps of forming a panel of overlapping woven fabric plies with warp and fill yarns formed of bundled aramid fibers. The overlapping plies have a collective areal density of no greater than 1.30 pounds per square foot, and a V50 ballistic limit of no less than 1925 feet per second using a .22 caliber, 17 grain FSP at 0 degrees obliquity. The panel is incorporated into an outer shell material of the body-armor product.